Advertising Blurbs

From The Status Line, Vol.VII No.1 Winter/Spring 1988:

Sherlock Holmes - Immortal Legend

The Crown Jewels have been stolen; you're the only one who can find them

"You are standing in the spill of a gas streetlight outside 221B Baker Street. You have come in response to an urgent summons from your old landlady, Mrs. Hudson. As the fog swirls around you, you huddle into your coat and shiver in the predawn chill."

Thus begins Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels, which catapults you into the fog-bound streets of Victorian London. All week long, the city has been bustling with preparations for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee. Crowds of sightseers and souvenir vendors fill the streets. Newspapers detail the gala array of festivities - special services at Westminster Abbey; a Royal procession through the streets of London; and Queen Victoria reigning over all, resplendent in the Crown Jewels.

At least, that's the official plan. Unbeknownst to the celebrants thronging the city, a crisis has arisen: the Crown Jewels have been stolen from the Tower of London. If they're not recovered before the festivities begin, the theft will be exposed and the government will fall into international disgrace.

Only 48 hours remain to solve the crime. With Scotland Yard baffled, the Prime Minister calls on Sherlock Holmes, the famous consulting detective. But riddles left at the scene of the crime include a direct challenge to Holmes, and he suspects that the theft is as much a deadly trap for him as it is an attempt to embarrass the government. To throw the scoundrel off his guard, Holmes turns the investigation over to you, his trusted cohort, Dr. Watson.

With Holmes by your side, you use your wits, intuition, and a myriad of clues to solve the riddles and piece together the mystery. From Trafalgar Square to Madame Tussaud's, from Westminster Abbey to the Tower itself, you criss-cross London until finally you trace the evil to its source and find yourself face-to-face with the Napoleon of Crime - Professor Moriarty. One false move here will bring disaster not only to you and Holmes, but to the entire British Empire.

Sherlock is the first game in Infocom's new "Immortal Legends" series. The games feature enhanced interaction with legendary characters of the past in the settings in which they became famous. Developed by Bob Bates and Challenge, Inc., the series combines humor and puzzle-solving into satisfying adventures that will stay with you long after you turn away from the computer. The game Sherlock itself is a comic mystery, and its cast of characters includes the Baker Street Irregulars, Mycroft Holmes, and the always-incompetent Inspector Lestrade, about whom Holmes says, "Be kind to him, Watson. He has delusions of adequacy."

And although Holmes himself disapproves, you have access at all times to our new on-screen hint system. So if your magnifying glass clouds up, you can simply type HINT and choose from a carefully designed hint menu that lets you select anything from a gentle nudge to a step-by-step solution.

Our packaging mavens have outdone themselves with an authentic map of Victorian London and a reproduction of a London newspaper of the day. With actual articles, notices, and advertisements, you get an unforgettable glimpse into the day-to-day life of a Londoner of Holmes's day. Also included in the package is a distinctive key fob with the unmistakable silhouettes of the master sleuth and his companion.

But it is Holmes himself who attracts and holds our attention here. He is that lean, nervous character whose piercing eyes miss nothing and whose deductions from the smallest piece of evidence are guaranteed to astound. As Big Ben strikes each hour and you come ever closer to either victory or abject failure, it is his words of impatience or praise that spur you on.

Scheduled for release January 15, 1988, Sherlock will be available for a wide variety of personal computers including Apple II series, Commodore 64/128, IBM series and 100% compatibles.

Versions with sound will be available March 1, 1988, for the Macintosh, Atari ST, Amiga, and Apple IIgs. Suggested retail price is $34.95 for Commodore 64/128 and $39.95 for all other systems.

MORIARTY HAS SET A DEADLY TRAP FOR SHERLOCK HOLMES. AND ONLY YOU CAN STOP HIM...

Travel back in time to Victorian London, where the city is bustling with preparations for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee. Crowds of sightseers and souvenir vendors fill the streets in eager anticipation of the Jubilee Week event. Newspapers detail the gala array of festivities. Sumptuous receptions for foreign dignitaries. Special services at Westminster Abbey. A Royal Procession through the streets of London. And the Queen reigning over all, resplendent in the Crown Jewels.

At least, that's the official plan. Unbeknownst to the celebrants thronging the city, a crisis has arisen: the Crown Jewels have been stolen from the Tower of London. If they're not recovered before the festivities begin, the theft will be exposed and the government will fall into international disgrace.

Only 48 hours remain to solve the crime. With Scotland Yard failing to make headway, the Prime Minister calls on Sherlock Holmes, the famous consulting detective. But riddles left at the scene of the crime include a direct challenge to Holmes, who suspects a deadly trap. To throw the scoundrel off his guard, Holmes turns the investigation over to you, his trusted cohort, Dr. Watson.

With Holmes by your side, you use your wits, intuition, and a myriad of clues to solve the riddles and piece together the mystery. Your search for the jewels and the villain leads you all over London, from the most popular tourist attractions to the seediest back alleys. As Big Ben strikes each successive hour and dangerous complications impede your progress, you realize you're facing that most dastardly of foes, Holme's archnemesis... the vile Professor Moriarty.

Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels is the first story in Infocom's new Immortal Legends series, developed by Challenge, Inc. Using Infocom's sophisticated development tools, Challenge lends its own brand of puzzles and plotting to interactive fiction. In The Riddle of the Crown Jewels, author Bob Bates brings Holme's London to life, filling it with familiar characters and locations. On-screen hints provide clues when your magnifying glass falls short of the task.